Routine Events Research Articles

Predicting impacts of weather-driven urban disasters in the current and future climate

Effective city operations depend on local weather conditions at the scale of critical urban infrastructure such as power and water distribution systems. This includes both routine and severe weather events. For example, with precipitation events, local topography and weather influence water runoff and infiltration, which directly affect flooding as well as drinking water quality and availability. The impact of such events creates issues of public safety. Thus, the availability of highly localized weather model predictions focused on public safety and operations of infrastructure can mitigate the impact of severe weather. This is especially true if the lead time for the availability of such predictions enables proactive allocation and deployment of resources to minimize recovery time from severe events. Typically, information at such a scale is simply not available. Hence, the ability of municipalities to proactively respond to these events is limited. Available continental- or regional-scale weather models are not appropriately matched to the temporal or spatial scale of such operations. While near-real-time assessment of observations of current weather conditions may have the appropriate geographic locality, by its very nature it is only directly suitable for reactive response. To address this gap, we use state-of-the-art physical weather models at the spatial scale of the city's infrastructure to avoid this mismatch in predictability. Model results are coupled to data-driven stochastic models to represent the actionable prediction of weather (business) impacts. In some cases, an intermediate physical model may be required to translate predicted weather into the phenomena that lead to such impacts. We have applied these ideas to several cities with a diversity of impacts and weather concerns and show how this coupled model methodology enables prediction of storm impacts on local infrastructure. We also discuss how this concept can be extended to a climate scale in order to evaluate the potential localized impacts of a warming planet and the effectiveness of strategies being used to mitigate such impacts.

Solid waste management: The disposal behavior of poor people living in Gaza Strip refugee camps

Solid waste management (SWM) services present a challenge in the Gaza Strip (GS), where the infrastructure is inadequate and currently operating landfills are overloaded. This paper examines the solid waste disposal behavior of poor people living in GS refugee camps. A total of 180 semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted in the eight camps to collect primary data relevant to SWM and to provide a novel account of the routine events, decisions, emotions, and cognitions related to the disposal of basic household items. A majority of the interviewees (88%) perceive a link between their wellbeing and proper waste disposal behavior. The respondents are aware of the adverse impact of improper waste disposal on their health and the surrounding environment, and, despite their limited financial resources, they expressed a willingness to pay for proper SWM services. Current waste disposal practices do not involve separating waste, and heads of households are not keen on encouraging their family members to do so. Only a small fraction of the interviewees (23%) are aware of any environmental initiatives although all confirmed their concern about the underlying environmental and health issues. All interviewees expressed their substantial dissatisfaction with current disposal practices, and the findings reveal that the interviewees who engage in pro-environmental behavior are more content. Poor people living in camps tend to dispose of their possessions in three main ways: giving away, throwing away, and selling their items. These methods should be further investigated to assess their feasibility with regard to overcoming the current SWM challenge.

Our Money, My Secrets: Why Married Individuals Commit Financial Infidelity

The focus of this exploratory study was to identify reasons why married individuals commit financial infidelity. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to identify types of financial infidelity and other deceitful behaviors that occur in married relationships. This research also focused on establishing categories for conflict in the home and other secret information aside from financial infidelity. In addition to quantitative responses, a content analysis of open-ended survey questions was used to identify and code categories and themes in the written data (Strauss and Corbin in Basics of qualitative research: grounded theory procedures and techniques, Sage, Newbury Park 1990). Two primary categories emerged that identify why married individuals commit financial infidelity: avoiding an argument and spending on self. In addition to the 10 categories of financial conflict published in Jeanfreau et al. (J Financ Ther 9(1):1–20, 2018), two additional categories emerged from the qualitative data: other debt and recreational purchases. Three categories and ten themes of secret information included: gone somewhere (food and friends, routine events, adult time), spent time with someone (work friends, friends, exes/affair partners), and additional secrets (not keeping secrets, health related information, ending the relationship, information related to exes or affair partners). Aside from financial issues, participants reported four categories of issues that caused the most conflict: time together, communication, health related issues, and extended family problems. Finally, the majority of participants reported sharing financial decisions with his or her spouse, having joint bank accounts and sharing expenses, and paying bills collaboratively. Findings highlight the need for marriage and family therapists to address healthy communication practices regarding finances and money management.

Snapshots of tellings in interactions between adults and children aged two, three and three and a half in an Australian context

This paper examines how and by whom tellings with two young children are triggered at ages 23, 36 and 42 months. The data for the investigation is derived from a larger Australian English corpus of over 50 hours of interactions in the home, although one of the children is a bilingual Italian/ English-speaking child. The data is derived from two parent/child dyads, and in the case of the child aged 42 months, a triadic interaction between a mother, her own child and a second child. Using the micro-analytic methods of conversation analysis, the study analyses five samples of tellings. The first two describe how a child, Cassandra, aged 23 months, is invited to recount events of her day by her parents. The trigger for these tellings is the social activity of sharing everyday routine events. The next two samples focus on Rosie at 36 months who is also invited to share a telling by her parent about a birthday party celebration and one about a neighbourhood cat, Claude. The first telling is triggered by an object, a balloon from a birthday party from the day before, while the second is triggered by play involving the character of a cat, initially derived from a favourite story, Hairy Maclary. In the final sample, Cassandra, aged 42 months, initiates a telling about an experience at her grandmother’s which is trigged by a picture in a book. The analyses in each case reveal the interactional issues that arise in the action of telling and how these are dealt with by all participants. By focusing on the three ages, key features in the children’s participation in storytelling are uncovered.

The impact of living with long-term conditions in young adulthood on mental health and identity: What can help?

BackgroundIt has been suggested that the mental health impacts of living with long‐term conditions are greater in young adulthood compared to older adulthood, due to greater disruption to identity and routine life events.ObjectivesTo explore the impact of living with long‐term conditions in young adulthood on mental health and identity, and what helps living well with these conditions.MethodsFifteen in‐depth interviews with young adults with various conditions were conducted and analysed thematically.ResultsThemes related to the impacts on mental health and identity include the following: negative mood and depression; anxiety and fear for the future; and identity as ‘ill’/abnormal compared to former self and ‘normal’ others. Themes related to suggestions for addressing negative impacts include the following: promotion of positive thinking; support reaching acceptance with altered identity and limitations (through stages of denial, anger, depression, then acceptance); and more professional mental health support.DiscussionIn order to promote mental health and a positive sense of self/identity, young adults with long‐term conditions should be offered advice and support on positive thinking; the long and difficult process of reconstructing identity; and reaching acceptance. This is particularly important for young adults for whom the identity reconstruction process is more complex and psychologically damaging than for older adults, as this life stage is associated with health/vitality and illness represents a shift from a perceived normal trajectory to one that appears and feels abnormal.

Does Compassion Matter in Leadership? A Two‐Stage Sequential Equal Status Mixed Method Exploratory Study of Compassionate Leader Behavior and Connections to Performance in Human Resource Development

AbstractThe transformative power of compassion is critical to leader performance and has garnered increasing interest in business settings. Despite substantive contributions toward the conceptual understanding of compassion, prior empirical work on the relationship between compassion and leader performance is relatively limited. This article presents compassionate leader behavior as a conceptualization of a new leadership construct. A two‐stage, sequential, and equal status mixed method research design was utilized to develop and validate a measure of compassionate leadership. Study 1 used a phenomenological approach to understand how leaders engage with compassion and how their experiences and behaviors associated with compassion affect performance within the context of their leadership. Findings indicated that when leaders focused on compassionate behaviors during routine and focal events in the organization, six distinctive themes—integrity, empathy, accountability, authenticity, presence, and dignity—emerged as individual‐level building blocks of compassionate leadership behavior. In Study 2, we developed and validated a Compassionate Leader Behavior Index (CLBI) based on the six emergent behaviors and found general support for compassionate leadership for both practice and research. Implications of study findings and directions for future research in human resource development (HRD) are discussed.

Predation by carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) is an important cause of mortality in a free-living koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population in South East Queensland.

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are experiencing significant declines across the northern part of their range. However, unbiased, population-level estimates of mortality are rarely reported, as it's difficult to quantify causes of mortality robustly in this cryptic species. We aimed to determine the relative importance of carpet python (Morelia spilota) predation in a free-living koala population and describe the characteristic pathological findings during necropsy. In total, 503 koalas were captured, underwent veterinary examination and telemetric tagging, and were monitored after release over a four-year period. Mortalities were detected when activity data reported by K-Tracker® biotelemetry collars indicated low or zero activity, or during routine field monitoring events. Experienced koala veterinarians performed thorough, standardised necropsy examinations on retrieved carcasses to determine causes of death. The three, sometimes subtle, cardinal signs used to definitively diagnose carpet python-caused deaths of koalas were a U-shaped primary bite site, slicking of the fur by python saliva (particularly around the face), and diffuse, uniform pulmonary congestion. We found that carpet pythons were important predators of koalas, second only to wild dogs (dingoes and dingo hybrids (Canis familiaris dingo)), accounting for 11.6% of predation deaths and 7.2% of total deaths. Less than half (38%) of the koalas killed by carpet pythons were ingested. Though carpet pythons are known predators of koalas, their relative importance as a cause of mortality hasn't previously been recognised. Population viability analyses and conservation management plans benefit from robust cause-of-death data collected during longitudinal monitoring studies, requiring telemetry methods that facilitate rapid detection of mortalities.

Literary Journalism in the Face of Global Food Crisis: Techniques on the way out

Over the years, world leaders have continued to troubleshoot approaches to combating hunger. Although the increasing hunger appears to be affecting countries in different continents of the world, African countries and part Asia appear to be most hit. This study examines the nexus between literary journalism and combating the global hunger crisis with specific attention to Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the extent literary journalism can be deployed to combat hunger, the techniques to deploy in using literary journalism to drive government policies on food sufficiency and encourage public participation in agriculture. Literary journalism, though an emerging field, has the potential of promoting agricultural activities and policies that will lead to eventual food security. Literary journalism presents an opportunity through which agriculture can be developed and food security enhanced. Understanding the approaches and techniques of literary journalism for combating global food crisis is a significant contribution to literature in the following ways: First, it will provide newer insights into the role of literary journalism in agricultural development and food security. In the second place, this study contributes to literature by opening a new vista in the study of literary journalism. The International Food Policy Research Institute in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization in its Global Hunger Index grouped Nigeria among countries with a high level of hunger threat, with an index of 25.5 which was categorized as serious hunger threat. Based on the concept of 'breakable rules' by Mark Kramer, the following characteristics of literary journalism stand out: immersion in the story worlds; developing implicit rules (covenants) on accuracy and sincerity; description mainly about everyday, routine events; development of meaning, based on a consistent reaction of readers. This study raises the following researcher questions: To what extent can literary journalism promote food security? What literary journalism techniques can be used to encourage participation in agriculture? What literary journalism techniques can be used to drive government policies and programs in agriculture? A total of 30 respondents provided narratives on the nexus between literary journalism and food sufficiency. A structured interview guide was used as the instrument for data collection while thematic analysis guide was used to analyze the result of study. The result of the semi-structured interview revealed that literary journalism can aid in combating food crisis globally and in Nigeria in particular to a large extent. It was also found that the techniques to be used for combating food crisis include scene-by scene, infotainment, dialogue, subjectivity and accuracy. During the interview sessions, it was discovered that the respondents reported that literary journalism has not been given its pride of place in Nigeria, unlike other parts of the world like the United States of America where it has been in practice since the 1960s.These results were examined with the framework of ACADA model. The model stands for Assessment, Communication, Analysis Design and Action. The model was developed by the United Nations for International Children Emergency Fund. The implications of these results on food sufficiency and the expansion of literature on literary journalism were also discussed.

Engaging communities in collecting and using results from verbal autopsies for child deaths: an example from urban slums in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

BackgroundVerbal autopsies (VAs) can provide important epidemiological information about the causes of child deaths. Though studies have been conducted to assess the validity of various types of VAs, the programmatic experience of engaging local communities in collecting and using VA has received little attention in the published literature. Concern Worldwide, an international non-governmental organization (NGO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), has implemented a VA protocol in five urban slums of Freetown, Sierra Leone. This paper provides VA results and describes lessons learned from the VA process.MethodsUnder-five child deaths were registered by Community Health Workers (CHWs) in five urban slums between 2014 and 2017, and a specially trained local clinician used a VA protocol to interview caretakers. Symptoms were analysed using InterVA-4 computerized algorithm, a probabilistic expert-driven model to determine the most likely cause of death. Themes in care-seeking were extracted from multiple-choice and open-ended questions. VAs were implemented in collaboration with the community and the results were shared with community stakeholders in participatory review meetings.ResultsMain challenges included limitations in death notification and capacity to conduct VA for all notified deaths. A total of 215 VA were available for analysis. Among 79 neonatal deaths aged 0-27 days, the most common cause of death was neonatal pneumonia (55%); among 136 children deaths aged 1-4 years, the most common causes were malaria (56%) and pneumonia (41%). Key themes in care-seeking identified included use of traditional medicine (14% of deaths), absence of care-seeking (23% of deaths), and difficultly reaching the health facility (8% of deaths that occurred at home) during fatal illness.ConclusionsConducting VAs as a collaborative process with communities is challenging but can provide valuable data that can be used for local-level decision-making. The findings have practical implications for engaging the community and CHWs in reducing the number of these preventable deaths through expanded efforts at prevention, early and appropriate treatment, and reduction of barriers to care-seeking. A functional end-to-end VA system can enhance meaningful routine vital events monitoring by community, national, and international stakeholders.

An update on physiological effects of stress

The awareness of stress was increased after World War II when it was noticed that many routine life events like examinations growing up increases stress and leads to dysfunction Stress has both positive and negative impact Up to a limited level of threshold stress may be beneficial However beyond this level there will be sharp fall in the productivity The current article reviews the effect of stress on different body systems Stress contributes to development of many diseases and consequently decreases quality of life As stress is unavoidable in present day life style it must be managed effectively to improve the quality of life Hence it is essential to understand the effects of stress on different body systems to develop effective interventions for stress management

Punctuating the equilibrium: A lens to understand energy and environmental policy changes

Punctuating the equilibrium: A lens to understand energy and environmental policy changes

The Re-ethnicisation of Politics in Myanmar and the Making of the Rohingya Ethnicity Paradox

In Myanmar, hostilities between the majority Burmese and the minority Rakhine people on one side and the minority Rohingya on the other side have been common, but violence has persisted and even increased during the unstable transition away from an authoritarian regime. Most Burmese citizens appear to be united behind the ruling elites on the Rohingya issue. Why is the violence assumed to be of ethnic origin and whose interests are served by the acceptance of such violent acts as routine events? The article attempts to seek answers by following Brass’s framework on Hindu–Muslim violence in India. Its purpose is to examine which actors, mechanisms and institutional developments have been dominant and significant in the re-ethnicisation of the political landscape in Myanmar and how this has consolidated the formation of a contentious and contested specific Rohingya group identity among many Arakanese Muslims.

Rechargeable Internal Pulse Generators as Initial Neurostimulators for Deep Brain Stimulation in Patients With Movement Disorders

Rechargeable internal pulse generators (r-IPGs) for deep brain stimulation (DBS) promise a longer battery life and cost effectiveness compared to non-rechargeable IPGs. However, patients need to learn to check the battery capacity and perform the recharging process to ensure continuous therapy. n = 35 consecutive adult patients with movement disorders that underwent DBS electrode placement with implantation of a r-IPG were assessed with a questionnaire. They were asked to report on their recharging routine, user confidence, satisfaction, and adverse events. Patients were asked to assess the level of difficulty of the individual steps and the overall recharging process on an ordinal scale awarding 1-5 points. 89% (n = 31) patients responded and were available for data analysis. n = 21 patients received DBS for Parkinson's Disease, n = 8 for essential tremor and n = 2 for dystonia at a mean age of 63.3 years. The mean follow-up was 21.2 months. n = 7 patients have partners or nursing services check and recharge the IPG. The recharging takes an average of 57.6 min. 90.3% felt confident using their IPG after a mean of 2.1 weeks and 1.6 training sessions. 97% of patients prefer their r-IPG over a conventional one. n = 3 patients experienced inability to recharge their IPG at some point. One patient experienced battery depletion and interruption of stimulation because of inability to recharge. The overall recharging process was rated as "easy" with a score of 4.0 out of 5 points. Each individual step was also rated as "easy" with a median score of 4.0 out of 5. Old age was not associated with more adverse events or a lower rating for the recharging process. Choosing a r-IPG during initial DBS surgery is safe and associated with a low number of adverse events even in older patients. The vast majority of patients consider handling and recharging the IPG as "easy." Most of the patients undergoing DBS for movement disorders will benefit from the advantages of r-IPGs.

Promoting Health Equity in Type 1 Diabetes through Peer Mentorship—Findings from the All for ONE Randomized Controlled Trial

There are tremendous health disparities in type 1 diabetes (T1D) according to socioeconomic status (SES). Moreover, college students with T1D, regardless of SES, face serious health risks as they transition to independent living. The All for ONE (Outreach, Networks, and Education) program was piloted as a novel intervention where college students with T1D mentored publicly insured teenagers with T1D (n=88, treatment and control). Outcome measures for college students and teens included HbA1c, diabetes knowledge, and the validated College Resiliency and Children’s Hope scales. The intervention included daily text reminders for blood glucose monitoring, weekly text exchanges, social events infused with T1D education, clinic visits with mentors/mentees and a weekly training course for the mentors. Paired t-tests were used to compare changes from baseline to study conclusion among the college students, and ANCOVA was used to compare changes between intervention and control teens adjusting for baseline. Adjusting for baseline, the mean change in HbA1c was +0.09 (9% increase) in the intervention group, compared to +0.28 (31% increase) in the control group (p=0.61). College students had a mean -0.22 (27% decrease) in HbA1c (p=0.38). Treatment group teens were significantly more likely to attend clinic visits during the pilot than control group teens (p = 0.02*). Exit surveys with mentors, mentees and parents expounded on the program’s success with 98% reporting they wanted to participate again if given the opportunity. The main value of the program was listed by mentors as increased networks with other college students with T1D, by mentees as being able to talk to their mentor about the disease, and by parents as giving their child a confidant who understood T1D. This pioneering program concurrently targets two vulnerable populations, establishing critical feasibility for a model that uses routine events of texting, clinic visits, and college curriculum. Disclosure A.F. Walker: None. M.J. Haller: None. M.J. Gurka: None. H.L. Morris: None. C. Anez-Zabala: None. B.S. Bruggeman: None. D. Guiffre: None. H. Rohrs: None. M.A. Atkinson: Other Relationship; Self; Patent Issued. D. Schatz: None.

Of cattle and feasts: Multi-isotope investigation of animal husbandry and communal feasting at Neolithic Makriyalos, northern Greece.

The aim of this study is to investigate livestock husbandry and its relationship to the mobilization of domestic animals for slaughter at large communal feasting events, in Late Neolithic Makriyalos, northern Greece. A multi-isotope approach is built that integrates analysis of: δ13C and δ15N values of human and animal bone collagen for understanding long-term dietary behavior,Incremental δ13C and δ18O values of domestic animal tooth enamel carbonate for assessing seasonal patterns in grazing habits and mobility, and87Sr/86Sr ratios of cattle tooth enamel for examining the possibility that some of the animals consumed at the site were born outside the local environment.The findings indicate that cattle had isotopically more variable diets than sheep, which may reflect grazing over a wider catchment area in the local landscape. Cattle products did not make a significant contribution to the long-term dietary protein intake of the humans, which may indicate that they were primarily consumed during episodic feasting events. There is no indication that pasturing of livestock was pre-determined by their eventual context of slaughter (i.e. large-scale feasting vs. more routine consumption events). Two non-local cattle identified among those deposited in a feasting context may have been brought to the site as contributions to these feasts. The evidence presented provides a more detailed insight into local land use and into the role of livestock and feasting in forging social relationships within the regional human population.

Sticky stories from the classroom: From reflection to diffraction in Early Childhood Teacher Education

This article aims to challenge the prominence of reflexivity as a strategy for early childhood teachers to adopt by taking Norwegian early childhood teacher education as its focus. Observed micro-moments from a university classroom generate multilayered, multi-sensorial entangled narratives that address what reflection and diffraction are and what they do – where students, the educator, materiality, space and affects intra-act. Furthermore, the article explores the ways in which teacher educators and students in early childhood teacher education become-with the classroom and materiality, and, in doing so, ideas about professionalism in early childhood education are opened out. By identifying the limitations of reflection, the authors go on to explore what working with diffraction might offer to reach alternative understandings. By placing a focus on seemingly unremarkable and routine events in the life of an early childhood teacher education classroom, the authors offer other, potentially more generative ways to think about student teachers and their further professional practice in kindergartens.

Autonomic Dysfunction in Neonates with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Undergoing Therapeutic Hypothermia Impairs Physiological Responses to Routine Care Events

To evaluate whether infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and evidence of autonomic dysfunction have aberrant physiological responses to care events that could contribute to evolving brain injury. Continuous tracings of heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), cerebral near infrared spectroscopy, and video electroencephalogram data were recorded from newborn infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy who were treated with hypothermia. Videos between 16 and 24 hours of age identified 99 distinct care events, including stimulating events (diaper changes, painful procedures), and vagal stimuli (endotracheal tube manipulations, pupil examinations). Pre-event HR variability was used to stratify patients into groups with impaired versus intact autonomic nervous system (ANS) function. Postevent physiological responses were compared between groups with the nearest mean classification approach. Infants with intact ANS had increases in HR/BP after stimulating events, whereas those with impaired ANS showed no change or decreased HR/BP. With vagal stimuli, the HR decreased in infants with intact ANS but changed minimally in those with impaired ANS. A pupil examination in infants with an intact ANS led to a stable or increased BP, whereas the BP decreased in the group with an impaired ANS. Near infrared spectroscopy measures of cerebral blood flow/blood volume increased after diaper changes in infants with an impaired ANS, but were stable or decreased in those with an intact ANS. HR variability metrics identified infants with impaired ANS function at risk for maladaptive responses to care events. These data support the potential use of HR variability as a real-time, continuous physiological biomarker to guide neuroprotective care in high-risk newborns.

How safe is tuning a radio?: using the radio tuning task as a benchmark for distracted driving

Drivers engage in non-driving tasks while driving, such as interactions entertainment systems. Studies have identified glance patterns related to such interactions, and manual radio tuning has been used as a reference task to set an upper bound on the acceptable demand of interactions. Consequently, some view the risk associated with radio tuning as defining the upper limit of glance measures associated with visual-manual in-vehicle activities. However, we have little knowledge about the actual degree of crash risk that radio tuning poses and, by extension, the risk of tasks that have similar glance patterns as the radio tuning task. In the current study, we use counterfactual simulation to take the glance patterns for manual radio tuning tasks from an on-road experiment and apply these patterns to lead-vehicle events observed in naturalistic driving studies. We then quantify how often the glance patterns from radio tuning are associated with rear-end crashes, compared to driving only situations. We used the pre-crash kinematics from 34 crash events from the SHRP2 naturalistic driving study to investigate the effect of radio tuning in crash-imminent situations, and we also investigated the effect of radio tuning on 2,475 routine braking events from the Safety Pilot project. The counterfactual simulation showed that off-road glances transform some near-crashes that could have been avoided into crashes, and glance patterns observed in on-road radio tuning experiment produced 2.85–5.00 times more crashes than baseline driving.

Persuasion in Earnings Calls: A Diachronic Pragmalinguistic Analysis

This study investigates persuasive language in earnings calls. These are routine events organized by companies to report their quarterly financial results. The analysis is based on the earnings calls of 10 companies in the third quarter of 2009, when financial markets were still suffering from the global financial crisis, and the third quarter of 2013 when markets had largely recovered. Earnings call transcripts were compiled in two parallel corpora (Crisis Corpus and Recovery Corpus), thus providing a diachronic perspective. Semantic annotation software was used to extract pragmalinguistic resources of persuasion. The Crisis Corpus had a higher frequency of persuasive items, as executives often emphasized progress and future hopes. However, the types of items were largely the same across the corpora. This suggests a well-consolidated linguistic protocol within this discourse community that transcends financial performance. The findings offer insights into how earnings call participants use persuasive language strategically to achieve their distinct professional objectives as responsible providers of information (executives) versus discerning seekers of information (analysts).

Exploring routine hospital antenatal care consultations - An ethnographic study.

Listening to women as part of their antenatal care has been recognized as valuable in understanding the woman's needs. Conversations as part of routine antenatal interactions offer ideal opportunities for women to express themselves and for midwives to learn about the woman's issues and concerns. The antenatal visit and the convention of antenatal consultations for midwives have not been well explored or defined and much of what takes place replicate medical consultative processes. As a consequence, there is little to assist midwives construct woman-centred care consultations for their routine antenatal care practice. This study showed how some practices were better in promoting the woman's voice and woman-centred care in the hospital setting. Contemporary focused ethnography using both interview and observations, explored how midwives from six different public antenatal clinics in South Australia organized their antenatal care consultations with pregnant women. Thematic analysis of the data provided insights into professional interpretation of woman-centred practice. How midwives interacted with women during routine antenatal care events demonstrated that some practices in a hospital setting could either support or undermine a woman-centred philosophy. Individual midwives adopted practices according to their own perceptions of actions and behaviors that were considered to be in accordance with the philosophy of woman-centred care. Information arising from this study has shown ways midwives may arrange antenatal care consultations to maximize women's participation.